The Art Galleries at TCU proudly presents Refract, the 2024 MFA Candidacy Exhibition, showcasing the work of TCU’s second-year Master of Fine Arts candidates: Austin Lewis, Mckee Frazior, Raul Rodriguez, and Eli Ruhala. Through an array of sculpted forms, narrative photography, interactive video, and immersive installation, the TCU MFA Class of ‘25 delve and explore aspects of ideas and their construction, allowing viewers to see them from different angles and new perspectives. The exhibition will be on view from January 19 through February 17, 2024 with an opening reception on Friday, January 19 from 6-8 pm.
Mckee Frazior
New Media MFA Candidate
TECH KNEE OHM
Mckee Frazior graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BFA in Studio Art and from Southern Methodist University with a graduate certificate in digital game studies. Frazior's "Tech Knee Ohm" delves into the complexities of human-technology relationships. This installation serves as both a contemplation and a critique of our dependency on technology, highlighting the blurred lines between control, symbiosis and parasiticity in the digital age.
Austin Lewis
Sculpture MFA Candidate
Untitled
Austin Lewis graduated with a BS in Integrated Studies from the University of North Texas, Lewis's art reflects an innovative approach to everyday materials. His sculptural and text-based works, crafted from discarded items and snippets of popular culture, challenge viewers to reconsider the oddity and wonder in the mundane. His creations stand as a testament to the transformative power of art in recontextualizing the familiar.
Raul Rodriguez
Photography MFA Candidate
Braceros
Raul Rodriguez received his BFA from the University of North Texas in Studio Art. His latest work weaves together the legacy and history of the Bracero Program. Historical imagery is incorporated onto fabrics, while portraits of living Braceros symbolize the connections between the past and present against the backdrop of a Western landscape. This body of work invites audiences to engage intimately with these historical narratives.
Elijah Ruhala
Painting MFA Candidate
The(ir) Art of Loving
Elijah Ruhala obtained his BFA in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art and explores building processes and materials through a queer lens. In his installation he examines the bathroom as a site where intimacy is broken down. The use of transparent wax paper and split down 2x4 studs, along with an obsessive building process, invites viewers to explore the interplay of memory, space, and scale.